Braces

Fixed dental braces use the pressure of an adjustable arch wire running through brackets and bands fixed to your teeth to align your teeth and jaws properly. Small elastic or metal ties fix the wire to the brackets, although some braces have a sliding mechanism instead of ties to secure the wire. The buccal tube secures the end of the arch wire. The headgear tube may be used to attach a wire gadget, usually worn at night, around the outside of the face to produce additional pressure. Elastics stretched between the upper and lower jaws offer another option for additional corrective pressure. Not all connections shown are used in every case.

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